E norhis peters co



No. 614,2l3. Pateiitod Nov. 15, I898.

.1 NASMITH.Q COIN FREED GAS METER.

- (Application filed July 28, 1898.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

z i 0 5 :C% I i g i WTNEIEISEE INVBNTUB v4 &

No. 6|4,2l3. Patented Nov. [5, I898.

J. NASMITH. com FREED GAS METER.

(Application filed July 28, 1898.)

No Model.) a SheatsfSheet 2.

\X/ITNES'S ES NVENTEIR vz. 60AM W (2% 6 we uonms ravens co, woruurua,wAsumm'on. a. c

' I Patented Nov. l5, I898.

.1. NA SMITH. COIN FREED GAS METERL (Application filed July 28, 189B.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

TiE EL WITNESSES lrxlvam u @W m IR UNITED STATES JOSEPH NASMITH, OFMANCHESTER, ENGLAND.

COlN-FREED GAS-M ETER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 614,213, dated November15, 1898. Application filed July 28,1898. $erial No. 687,070- (Nomodel.)

To 00% whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH NASMITH, of Manchester, in the county ofLancaster, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inand Relating to Coin-Freed Gas-Meters, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates tothat class of prepayment mechanism which isused in connection with gas-meters, but is also applicable to otherpurposes. 7

It has for its object the provision of facilities for theremoval of theprepayment attachment for examination, adjustment, or correction, or forthe alteration of thechange-wheel when it is desired to increase ordiminish the number of cubic feet of gas given in exchange for one coin.Hitherto this has been a work of considerable difficulty, involving theremoval of the meter from its working position and of part of the caseto permit of access to the mechanism. In addition to this the prepaymentmechanism is usually affixed to the metercase by screws, which must bewithdrawn before the mechanism can be removed. This involves aconsiderable expenditure of time and much inconvenience, the practicehaving been to remove the meter and in many cases to replace it byanother during the period in which it was being repaired. By myinvention the prepayment attachment can be removed withoutanydisturbance of the meter or of its case, so that it can be adjusted orcorrected on the consumers premises.

In the drawings and description hereinafter given I have shown theapplication of my invention to a mechanism similar to that described inUnited StatesLetters Patent No. 468,999, dated February 16, 1892, andNo. 524,511, dated August 14, 1894, granted to James F. Sawer and JamesL. Purves; butit is equally applicable to other forms of pre; paymentmechanism.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis application, in which- Figure 1 represents a plan View of the upperpart of a meter equipped with my invention, the top of the meter-casehaving been removed. Fig. 2 represents a plan view of one end of saidportion of the meter after the removal of the prepayment mechanism. Fig.

3 represents an elevation of the securing-Sta ple employed. Fig. 4represents a side elevation of the prepayment mechanism as ex posed bythe opening of the door provided in the front of the meter-casing. Fig.5 repre sents an endview of the prepayment mechanism, looking from theright inFig. 4. Fig. 6 represents a section on line 6 6 of Fig. 4 withthe door closed. Fig. 7 represents a plan view of a modification,showing the prepayment mechanism partially withdrawn from its operativeposition. Fig. 8 represents an end view of the upper portion of suchmodification. Fig. 9 represents a sectional view of the casing in saidmodification after the removal of the prepayment mechanism.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all thefigures.

In carrying my invention into effect I affix to the top partition M ofthemeter-case a plate 13 by soldering said plate to the case, the saidplate having three projections and said projections being bored andtapped for the reception of attaching-screws B B B To the plate B isaffixed by the said screws a base-plate G, and to the plate 0 isattached the valve-box E by the screw B which passes through the plate 0and the plate B. The box E is divided into two compartments by atransverse diaphragm, substantially as described in the specification ofPatent No. 468,999, hereinbefore alluded to, and in said diaphragm is anorifice surrounded bya valveseat. The top compartment of the valve-boxcontains a valve E, mounted at the end of an arm E, which is attached toa spindle E passing through a stuffing-box in the side of the valve-boxand carrying at its outer end a slotted operating-lever E The valve-boxis closed by a suitable cover, soldered or other wise affixed to it,said cover being removed in Figs. 2 and-7.

The plate 0 is provided with a groove 0', which is undercut ordovetailed. The prepayment mechanism is provided with a base F,supporting the three frames D D D and to said base-plate is cast orotherwise affixed a bar F, which is shaped to correspond with thedovetail groove 0' and adapted to engage the same. This constructionadapts the prepayment mechanism to be slid endwise into and out ofengagement with the base-plate C.

In Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive, a form of the invention is shown in whichthe bar F and groove 0 extend transversely of the metercase, so that theprepayment mechanism is slid in and out from the front, and in this casea hinged door II is provided to cover the opening in the casing throughwhich said mechanism is introduced. Referring particularly to this firstform, a gear-wheel L is shown attached to a spindle O, mounted inbrackets OO and actuated from the spindle or shaft R,which operates theindex mechanism of the meter. This gear-wheelL remains permanently inposition upon the spindle 0 when the prepayment mechanism is removed, asrepresented in Fig. 2. \Vhen the said mechanism is slid into place, thegear-wheel L engages with an idler-gear L on the prepayment mechanism,said idler being mounted upon a swinging quadrant L, which is held inplace at any desired adj ustment by means of a thumb-nut engaging a studwhich passes through a slot in the quadrant. The said idler-gear Lmeshes with a pinion L ,mounted on the shaft of the long pinion L whichforms part of the prepayment mechanism. The pinion L is detachablymounted and may be changed for one of a different number of teeth whenit is desired to vary the amount of gas delivered in payment for onecoin, the quadrant being shifted in position to correspond.

Other parts of the prepayment mechanism are a rotary coin-receivingmember A, with its external operating-handle A, and a traveling carriageA embracing a gear A which operates on a screw A and is rotated from thelong pinion L Said carriage has a stud A projecting into the slot in theoperatingleverE D is a second rotary member mounted on the end of thescrew A. The prepayment mechanism is provided with a dial I, visiblethrough an opening H in the door II.

J represents the money-box ordinarily found in machines of thischaracter. J represents the hasp which is used to secure said box inplace, and J represents the holdingstud projecting up from the bottom ofthe meter-case through an aperture in the bottom of the box J. On theunder side of the base-plate C is formed a lug C having a screw-threadedeye.

F is a lug projecting downwardly from the under side of the plate F andhaving an eye F which registers with the screw-threaded eye in the lug 0when the prepayment mechanism is in operative position. The door II isprovided with a boss II, apertured in a similar manner and abutting thelug F when the parts are in place.

G is a staple having a screw-threaded stem adapted to pass through theapertures in the boss H and the lug F and screw into the threadedaperture in the lug C Said staple is provided with a tongue or head Gand an intermediate flange or collar G. The tongue of the staple isbored with an aperture G, adapted to receive the bow of a padlock K.

In securing the prepayment mechanism and the money-box in position toprevent the removal thereof from the meter the staple G is screwed intothe apertured lug C through the lug F and boss II, as represented inFig. 6. The hasp is then passed over the tongue of the staple when thelatter is in a vertical position, and the padlock is finally secured tothe staple, as shown. In opening the meter to remove the mechanism forinspection or correction the foregoing operations arereversed and themechanism is slid out through the door-opening. In sliding the mechanismback into position the lug C forms a stop against which the lug F mayabut to determine the limit of inward movement of the mechanism, and, ifdesired, a further stop may be provided upon the base-plate C at aconvenient place.

\Vhen the prepayment mechanism is slid in longitudinally from the sideof the meter, as represented in Fig. 7, some modifications in structureare necessary, which are represented in Figs. 7, 8, and 9. The dovetailslot 0 inthis instance extends longitudinally of the base-plate O, asshown in Fig. 7, and the dovetail bar on the plate F extends in acorresponding direction. IVith this arrangement the door II in the frontof the casing may also be dispensed with and the end frame D of theprepayment mechanism utilized to close the opening in the meter-case.The opcrating-lever E is also formed with an openended slot, as shown inFig. 9, to permit the endwise entrance and removal of the stud A; and Iprefer, furthermore, in carrying out this modification to mount the gearL permanently at the pivotal point of the quadrant L in mesh with theidler L, and provide a tapered and squared end 0 for the spindle 0, saidend portion entering a correspondingly-shaped socket in the center ofthe gear L. IVhen the prepayment mechanism is withdrawn, the said gearbecomes disengaged from the end of the spindle, and when the mechanismis slid into place the gear and its spindle engage without diflieulty.Lugs C and F are provided, as before, on the baseplate and on theprepayment mechanism, and a securing-staple G is passed through saidlugs and an aperture in the front of the meterease, the hasp .I andpadlock K being employed, as before, to lock the staple in place.

It is clear from the foregoing description that I have provided simpleand inexpensive improvements whereby the prepayment mechanism may beremoved without disturbing the meter. Any equivalent of the dovetailslot and bar will of course answer the purpose of engaging theprepayment mechanism with the base-plate.

I claim- 1. In a prepayment gas-meter, the combi nation of a base-platesecured to the meter, a prepayment mechanism having provisions forengaging the base-plate, a staple engaging the frame of the prepaymentmechanism and serving to fasten said mechanism to the meter, and meansfor locking said staple in place.

2. In a prepayment gasmeter, the combination of a suitable base securedto the metercase, a prepayment mechanism having a dovetail connectionwith said base-plate, provisions in the meter-case for permitting theinsertion and removal of the prepayment mechanism, and means forfastening the prepayment mechanism in the meter-case in its operativeposition.

3. In a prepayment gas-meter, the combi- JOSEPH NASMITH.

Witnesses:

JOHN P. PARRISH, GEORGE R. DAVIS.

